What if every face were a billboard?

Dear Friends of Harbor House,
 
Author Max Lucado asks the question, “What if every face we see each day were a billboard that announced the true state of its owner’s heart?” How many would say “desperate,” or “broken: in need of repair?”
 
At Harbor House, that is a question we ask over and over. We meet people every day who are struggling. Some are addicted and can’t seem to get free. Others are living with the powerful effects of childhood trauma. Even more are hungry, lonely, and mentally fragile. At Harbor House, we offer a meal every day; the dignity of a shower, free laundry, and rental assistance for those who are trying to hang onto their housing; help with utilities and car repair, boxes of produce for families with children, and case management for all who want to move forward.
 
We provide outreach in an effort to find the homeless that are not accessing food or services in the encampments. In the outreach process we often find young people who are in great need of case management.
 
As most of you know, we have begun our work at “Pi House,” our transitional housing for young men who are aging out of foster care. These boys can continue to learn life skills and benefit from mentoring. They can finish high school or begin college, get job experience, learn how to drive a car or get a driver’s license. They can learn how to create a budget and open a bank account. These are all skills that our average 40-year-old homeless client has never acquired, and we find it is often these seemingly simple life skills that create the largest challenges we face when helping our current clients. 
 
The care that is offered by each of our volunteers and donors is extraordinary and we could not be more grateful. Please continue to contribute both financially and by volunteering. The needs in our community have never been so great in the wake of COVID-19. We have a tsunami of households who are struggling to get their lives and their children’s lives back on track. So many have massive utility bills and months of back rent due because of lost jobs.
 
Please donate to harborhouseto.org or by mailing a check to Harbor House
430 Avenida de los Arboles, Ste 203A, Thousand Oaks 91360.
 
We appreciate everything you do for Harbor House in an effort to lift up those who struggle most.
 
With deep gratitude,
 
 
Denise Cortes
Harbor House
Executive Director